Just starting out in MIDI some of my kit listed

[italways96]

Kit I have;

Roland PC 180
Roland SPD 5
FREEBASE 383 x2
KORG EA mk2
MIDI lead 2x in 2x out usb ESI RoMIO

Macbook pro intel, plus ABLETON LIVE 6

Want to make minimal techno & use in our indie band.

Any ideas?

As this is my first venture with MIDI I am a bit confused to say the least

Any help setting the kit up would be great,
maybe someone knows something on here could help me?

[Stab Frenzy]

You need a mixer or an audio interface, then you need to write some songs.

[crystalmsc]

then you need to write some songs.

with at least a decent headphone or a pair of monitor.

[kyodai]

I'd suggest that you do this in steps.

step one: get the controller keyboard PC180 controlling the software instruments that come with Ableton Live or other VSTis.

step two: connect the EA-1 MK2 get that running as a master MIDI clock for Live and have the two run together synched. Then try using the EA-1 as a sound module. you can play on the controller keyboard and the EA-1 will play thru Live. Figure out which you like better using it as a sound module or using it's internal sequencer.

step three: Disconnect the EA-1 totally. Connect the freebasses (you can run both with your current set-up) They will be sound modules with a set up similar to the EA-1 but each is seperate.

step four: Disconnect the Freebasses totally. Connect the SPD 5 (I don't know anything about this machine so you might be on your own here but) it seems to be a sound module and a controller so you can set it up as either to eith be synched with Live and using it's own sequencer or so you can use the pads to input drum beats into Live and then have it work as a sound module as well (but I could be wrong)

step five: Connect all the instruments.

Of course for step five you will need a multi I/O audio interface (or a mixer)and you will need to start making some decesions. Another suggestion is that you upgrade to Ableton Live 7 (or higher; 8 should be coming out soon) because it make working with hardware much more streamlined. especialy if you are going with the audio interface rather than a mixer. You will also have to deciede if you want to use the EA-1 and the SPD 5 as sound modules or with their internal sequencers. you could get something like a behringer bcf2000 if you want to use Live as a mixer. but this step should be a ways off. you don't want to jump right in.

It much better to learn things yourself than to have people show you how to do it all at once. Also once you have finished each step don't immediatlly jump to the next one play around with your current set-up have some fun. learn what you like and don't like about the way things are set-up what you wish you could do and what you can't do.